


Keep The Memories

by minkshame



Category: Mother 3
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Angst, Drama, Gen, M/M, Memory Loss, OJ is endlessly supportive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minkshame/pseuds/minkshame
Summary: Lucky is accosted by Violet, who claims she knew him in his old life. He doesn’t believe her...until she mentions something important. AU-ish. Contains just a hint of DusterJuice.
Relationships: Duster & Kumatora, Duster/OJ (Mother 3), Dusterjuice, Lucky/OJ
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Violet’s Demand

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! My first fic on this site.. my first Mother Fic. There needs to be more Duster centric stories. This story is Au-ish? It’s just some things happening earlier than they’re supposed to, which causes more and more to be different.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> All artwork is made by yours truly.

Lucky was reeling from their latest performance. He still didn’t feel used to it, even after two years of the bright lights and cheering fans. The band tonight had almost been swarmed by a few of said fans as they’d left the stage, much to Magic’s delight and OJ’s chagrin. But the guards had escorted the five band members quickly and quietly into the back rooms.

Club Titiboo was now closing up for the night, and as usual Lucky and the rest of the DCMC had come out of their rooms to help the various waitresses clean up. They always felt bad just lazing around. Magic was flirting with his favorite, as usual, and she was eating it up. Baccio kept to himself, silent as ever, sweeping up dust onstage. Shimmy Zmizz was stacking chairs. OJ was taking a quick breather at one of the tables. Lucky thought about going to sit with him, as he’d finished throwing away stray soda cans lying about.

He was barely able to take a step before he sensed someone behind him. He was about to turn around, until a hand tightly gripped his wrist, and he froze.

“Listen, meet me outside the club later. Don’t say anything now, just do it. I need to knock some sense into you.”

Lucky didn’t see who it was, but he recognized her voice as soon as she spoke and a chill ran down his spine. Violet let go of him and Lucky heard her heels click on the tile as she stepped out of the showroom. Violet... she was one of the newer waitresses, maybe only working for a few months. He didn’t know her well, but she was always just as cheery and bubbly as any other Titiboo waitress. Her words just now had sounded like a threat. It was true that Violet seemed like a harsh person from all the times Lucky had caught her staring daggers at him, but... she couldn’t make good on ‘knocking sense into him’ , could she? She a was small person, Lucky figured he could take her... no, what was he thinking? He didn’t know how to fight. The bassist shook his head, trying to relax, forget about it for now. Clear his head.

He went to sit with OJ. He still felt shaken from what she had said but... it was so quick it was almost like it hadn’t happened at all. OJ’s chill demeanor was always helpful, anyway. He always knew just what to say. It was admirable.

“Hey, Lucky, somethin’ on your mind?” OJ questioned him as he sat down.

“Huh?”

“You’ve got a thinkin’ look on your face. Real contemplative, y’know? It’s obvious.” OJ was really good at reading people for some reason. Or maybe Lucky was just really transparent.

Lucky wondered if he should tell him. Violet wasn’t dangerous, so it was hardly a big deal. If he didn’t go to meet her, what could she possibly do? So... what was the harm in letting OJ know? He didn’t like to keep secrets from him, anyway. He was band leader. He deserved to know.

“Violet said she wanted to meet with me later.”

OJ raised a brow.

“Her? Oh man... Lucky. She might have a thing for you.”

Lucky sputtered at that. No way, he thought. He was undesirable as anything. He wasn’t really good at anything, and most people thought he was strange. At least... that was how he felt. As far as he knew, maybe in his old life he was super popular. But the little voice in the back of his mind always just called him a moron.

“I don’t think so.” Lucky grimaced.

“C’mon, a suave guy like you? Anyone with eyes would have a thing for ya, Luckster.”

Turning a dark shade of red, Lucky quickly looked at the door leading out of the room, just to avoid OJs eyes. He didn’t take compliments well.

“She sounded serious about it... I don’t think it’s anything like that.” Lucky felt dread pool in his stomach.

“Well then what are you doing sittin’ around here, why not go talk to her? Even if my hunch is wrong, if it’s serious it’s probably at least important. Maybe ya dropped something and she wants to give it back.”

Lucky wished it was simple like that. But OJ’s even tone helped him remain calm, if for the moment. Lucky took a breath.

”Okay, you’re right.”

”Well, go on. I’ll be waitin’ for you outside your room so you can let me know if she’s tryna bribe you or something.” OJ got out of his chair. 

Lucky nodded, and watched him carry the chair over to Shimmy. He did the same with his own seat, and then braced himself for the worst.

* * *

Despite his fears, Lucky stepped outside the club into the brisk night air. He tried to keep his breathing even. Violet was standing there, looking over the cliff, the lights from Titiboo’s sign illuminating her. Her bright pink hair was almost blinding, tied up in a bun with the neon lights shining off of it. Lucky squinted.

“Um..”

Violet snapped around, her hair flying in her face. She hadn’t heard him approach. Lucky found for some reason, he was good at sneaking up on people like that. He also was never snuck up on, just like earlier when she’d barely managed to get the drop on him. There was more than one occasion where he had snapped around before any DCMC member could tap his shoulder. They always laughed and asked what was he so tense about?

Violet certainly looked tense right now. She stared at Lucky with her fists clenched and a fire in her eyes, like she was waiting for him to just figure out what she wanted without saying a word. Lucky had no idea, though... so he opened his mouth.

“So... you wanted to talk, or something?”

Violet let out a sigh. She seemed to relax, but her facial expression didn’t change much.

“You need to come home, Duster.” She said, plainly. Her eyebrows furrowed.

Duster?

“You’re good at the bass and everything, and Club Titiboo is nice and all, but you need to come home with me. We can’t just... pal around here, forever. I don’t want to.”

Lucky felt beyond confused. What was she talking about?

“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person...? I’m Lucky.” He pointed to himself as if that would help.

Violet looked at him with annoyance, crossing her arms.

“No, you’re Duster.”

“No... I...”

“Listen, I know you’ve ‘lost your memory’, “ she put air quotes around it with her fingers, “but you have to trust me on this. You’re Duster, and we’ve met before.”

This was the last thing Lucky expected. His thoughts went right to what the others had warned him about: random fans coming to him and claiming to know his past life, trying to persuade him into coming with them, to take advantage and use him. It was a price of fame, they said. He didn’t think it would ever happen to him. No fan could like him enough for something that extreme. Lucky couldn’t think of anything to say. Why she acted like him losing his memory was some sort of joke, he didn’t know.

Violet seemed to take his silence as a disagreement, because she pressed harder.

“I KNOW you, Duster! I came here cause I need to take you back! We have unfinished business!”

“I-I’m sorry, even if that’s true I don’t remember- I...”

“You have to trust me on this.”

“I don’t think I-I can.”

Violet furrowed her brow and took a step closer. Lucky braced for the ‘knocking’ she promised, but she just stopped and stared into his eyes with an intensity that made the hair on the back of Lucky’s neck stand up. He felt a strange pressure behind his eyes that made him squint. It was like someone was reaching into his head, and...

When she looked away, it stopped.

“Fine. You’re telling the truth, I get it. You don’t remember anything.” Violet let out an exasperated huff.

Lucky nearly sighed in relief, but then she spoke again.

“But what about the Egg? Do you remember that, at all? I just need to know that.”

The... egg?

How...

_Washing up on a river bank, soaking wet and confused, stumbling through tall foliage, clutching that one thing._

That egg. But...How could she know about it?

“H-how did you know about- I mean- I don’t...” Lucky stammered out, putting a hand to his head in confusion.

“You remember the egg?” Violet was suddenly very close to him, holding his collar in a rock hard grip. Lucky froze up in fear. There was excitement in her voice but her expression remained determined and angry. 

“Duster, if you know where the egg is you HAVE to tell me!”

“I don’t- I had an egg but-“

“You don’t know where it is?!”

“No- I...”

“You have to try to remember! It’s important! More important than anything else!”

She wasn’t letting him get a word in edgewise. Lucky did remember where he had hid that mysterious egg, and he also remembered how important it felt when he had done so. The strange egg had been warm, it had glowed, as if magical. He didn’t think about it much, but when he did... it kept him awake at night.

And Violet knew about it. Somehow. Maybe she was telling the truth, after all?

She let go of his collar.

“If you remember the egg, maybe all hope isn’t lost...” she muttered. “It was pink and white, about this big, right?” She held up her hands as if she was holding the egg. Lucky just nodded weakly. It was all correct.

“I need you to think hard, Dus- Lucky. Where you put the egg. I need you to show me where it is. Then I promise, I can leave you alone. Until, at least, you need to come home.”

Where was this home she kept talking about?

“Let me... think about it.” Was all Lucky could say. He didn’t tell her that he remembered the dirt clump that he had buried the egg in. He remembered it vividly.

He needed to get away from Violet for a moment. He needed time...

“Okay.” He was shocked she wasn’t angry. “I can wait. A little while.”

She didn’t say anything else, just walked past him back through the doors of Titiboo. Lucky was left standing there aghast. He once again felt like she was threatening him somehow. If she could only wait so long, what would happen when his time was up? Why did he have this impression that she was stronger than she looked? Maybe he did know her from somewhere... and why did his head hurt so much when she stared at him? Was it memories trying to resurface?

With so many questions swirling in his mind, Lucky knew he only had one option.

He had to talk to the guys about this.


	2. OJ’s Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucky consults with the band about what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one contains some direct dialogue from the game, so if it sounds familiar... that’s why! It turned out longer than expected, again.

OJ was waiting outside of Lucky’s room, just like he said. He was leaning against the wall, legs and arms crossed, looking casual and relaxed. As always.

When Lucky approached he pushed himself into an upright position. 

“Yo, how’d it go? She get flirty with ya?”

Lucky’s lost expression must’ve given him away, because OJ quickly changed his tune.

“What happened?” His words had an air of seriousness now. He placed a hand on the taller man’s shoulder. “What did she say?”

Lucky opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to word it. How to even start... It was so much, and it scared him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to have to tell the story more than once-

“Want me to gather the guys?” OJ read his mind. Lucky nodded, relieved. With them all in one room, he could just get it all out at once. And they could all provide the advice he so desperately needed right now.

“Go on ahead.” OJ opened the door to his room. “I’ll grab em.”

“Thank you,” Lucky breathed, and walked through the open doorway as OJ’s footsteps disappeared down the hallway. The door shut softly behind him, and Lucky let his eyes roam around the band leader’s quarters. It was a little untidy, but nothing crazy. OJ’s spare saxophone was propped up on a stand in the corner of the room. Lucky wasn’t sure where to sit besides the bed, so he stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He pretty much froze to the spot.

Violet had insisted that she knew his past life. If it was true, how well did she know him? Were they friends? Acquaintances? Siblings? Was she his lost lover? 

He wouldn’t know until his memories were back, which... Lucky wasn’t so sure he wanted. He thought about it sometimes. His life now was so happy, and so simple. He had everything he really needed. Why would he need to remember his past life if it had nothing to offer him? Though... he couldn’t know that, he supposed. Whatever his old self was, it was a complete mystery to him. He felt totally disconnected from it. Maybe he didn’t even act the same back then.

Lucky gazed down at the few faint scars etched across the back of his hands, and wondered. His leg, seemingly sensing his worry, started to ache.

Who _was_ he?

She had called him Duster.

The name felt like a shadow. An unreal word that he didn’t think he could bring himself to say out loud even if he tried. The fact that it weighed down so heavily on his mind... and how it scared him so much... maybe it really was his name. Maybe his memories were clawing to the surface. Is that why his head had hurt when Violet looked at him so intensely? If he really was Duster... what would happen to Lucky as he was now? 

The door clicked open, interrupting his thoughts. Magic burst into the room, and made a beeline towards the bassist.

“Lucky! Man, what happened? OJ said it was super important that we hear you out, but I got no idea what’s goin’ on!” 

Shimmy Zmizz wasn’t far behind.

“Be a little patient, Magic. OJ’s still getting Baccio.”

Magic wasn’t so good with patience, but he furrowed his brow and looked at Lucky with concern.

“Okay, but... they better be quick.” He tapped his foot in annoyance.

Lucky was glad for some normalcy. Magic’s intensity was expected from him, and it was comforting. It wasn’t long til OJ and Baccio entered the room. OJ locked the door behind him, and Baccio just gave a quiet nod when Lucky made eye contact with him.

“Ok, fellas. Lucky...” OJ said, tentatively. He looked around the room at the three other DCMC members. “Lucky had a talk with Violet. I don’t know what about, but he wants us all to know.” OJ gestured for Lucky to handle the rest.

“Violet?” Magic gasped, eyes wide. “The pink haired waitress who’s been getting all the attention from customers? Really?” He started to smirk. “Nice, man!” He gave Lucky a little punch on the arm. Despite the situation, Lucky smiled.

“It’s not exactly like that...” he said quietly, feeling embarrassed. Lucky looked at the floor, at his feet.

“What’d she say to you, Lucky?” OJ’s voice was still completely serious. He was worried, that was evident.

Lucky shut his eyes. That made it easier. His smile quickly disappeared.

“She told me... that she knows me. Who I... used to be.” Lucky gripped his hands together, tightly. “That we used to know each other.”

“Before you lost your memory?” Came Shimmy’s voice. Lucky opened his eyes and looked at him. His face was unreadable.

“Y-yeah. She said we had to go home. She didn’t... say where that was, though.”

“That’s suspicious as hell, man.” Magic had flipped his mood completely. His arms were crossed, brow furrowed in disgust. “She’s trying to get something from you. Using you. I told you, fans’ll do anything!”

With all five members having some sort of memory loss, that always made sense, however...

“But she... never said anything before now.” Lucky said hopelessly.

“Then she just came up with the idea! If she really knew anything, why would she wait so long?”

“It’s true.” Shimmy chimed in. “If there’s some home you come from, you must be considered missing there. She should have said something to you right away.”

The arguments were convincing. Maybe Violet had been lying, after all. But... there was that one thing still prickling at the back of his mind.

“...Do you believe her, Lucky?” OJ’s voice was level, but his expression was filled with worry.

“Why would he?”Magic exclaimed. “You don’t, right?l

Lucky opened his mouth to speak... but he knew what he would say would just disappoint them all. If he told them there was a chance, a small chance, that his old life could open up and swallow him whole, it would crush them all.

“...Lucky.” Baccio spoke for the first time. “It’s okay. You can tell us.”

Lucky turned towards the drummer, and felt totally lost. His four band members, his favorite people, were all looking at him with different amounts of concern etched across their features. He knew he was going to let them down. He felt like that was all he ever seemed to do...

But he should be honest.

“She... mentioned this... egg. It was an egg that I remembered. When I... when I first woke up. Before I met you guys.”

“An EGG?” Magic’s incredulous tone was understandable. It sounded ludicrous.

In that moment, it suddenly felt very certain that something very important was taking place. Ok, he’d better explain everything. Lucky took a deep breath.

“When I woke up washed up on the side of a riverbank, I had no idea who I was, where I came from, or where I was going. All I knew is that I was clutching a strange egg with great care.”

“Seriously though, an egg?” Magic still didn’t sound like he was buying it.

“It wasn’t a normal egg. It was larger, it had... markings on it. It... almost felt... like some sort of historical artifact.” Lucky explained. “I didn’t know where to go, but all I did know was that the egg was really important, for some reason.” 

Maybe the fact that it felt warm, it pulsated with a strange light, almost like magic, had persuaded him that it was of importance.

“I knew I absolutely HAD to keep it safe... so I looked for a place to hide it.”

“So you remember where it is?” OJ asked. Maybe he was hoping that memory had been erased too, but...

“I buried the egg inside a big dirt clod in a valley, where I knew no one would ever find it. I... still know where it is.” Lucky looked sadly into the saxophone player’s eyes. “I haven’t forgotten.”

The whole room went quiet. Lucky hung his head, knowing that something this big couldn’t just be dropped and pushed under the rug. He had to see it through somehow. 

“So... she knew about it.” Magic said slowly, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, and she wants me to show her where it is. But I didn’t tell her yet...that I knew where I hid it.”

“Just lie and say you forgot!” It seemed like a simple solution, however...

“But... if I never go out and find it... I’ll never know what it was. It’s...” he trailed off. Lucky knew it would eat at him as long as he lived if he did nothing about it. The rest of them seemed to understand that, because they all nodded sadly.

“An unsolved mystery is never satisfying, is it?” OJ said with a chuckle. “So. What’s the plan, Luckster?” He sounded encouraging, despite it all. 

“I-I guess... uh- tell Violet I know where to look? And we’ll... go find it, and I can... give it to her and... be done with it all.”

It sounded so easy when he said it like that. Something about the plan bothered him. Would it really be one and done like that? Or would finding this egg set off even more strangeness?

“I’ll come with you.” OJ said firmly. “Just in case.”

Lucky looked at him, and seeing that OJ’s was resolute about it caused his heart to swell with appreciation for his band leader. OJ was always there in any of the DCMC’s time of need, and Lucky could admit it felt good to have someone you could always rely on. OJ really was special like that. He was unwaveringly loyal.

Lucky nodded.

“We’ll leave it up to destiny.” Said Shimmy. “If you’re meant to go on this adventure... well.”

“I’ll say goodbye to you with a smile, if it’s destiny.” Baccio chimed in.

Lucky nodded again, at both of them. He didn’t think these would be their parting words, but it was nice all the same to hear them.

“After I sort this all out, we’ll come right back to Titiboo and keep making music.” The bassist said, determined. “That’s a promise.”

Magic patted Lucky on the back, hard.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Ouch.”

The five band members laughed, and the tension in the room broke, finally. It seemed everything would be ok. As long as Lucky had them, it would be ok.

The only thing left to do was talk to Violet.

* * *

She was waiting out in the lobby the next morning.

“Well...?” Was all she said.

“I know where the egg is.” Lucky replied. “It’s buried in a valley. You go up this waterfall, and...”

“Unknown Valley! That’s it!” Violet interrupted him immediately. “The egg we all worked so hard to protect is there!” She pounded a fist into her palm. “Ok, this is great! Let’s go, right now! I’m going to change out of these girl clothes.”

She started to walk back towards the dorm rooms, but turned on her heel and looked back at Lucky.

“Oh... and you should bring your belt. We’ll probably need the tools.”

She... knew about the belt sitting in his dresser drawer. Lucky felt the color drain from his face, and dread settled in once more. It was terrifying, how she knew these things without him saying a word.

“My... my belt?” 

“Yeah, you were wearing it the first time we met. It had all these tools attached. If you still have it, wear it. Some of that stuff will come in handy.”

Then she was out of sight, off to get changed.

OJ touched Lucky’s arm. Despite being gentle, Lucky flinched in surprise. “Hey. This belt... you have that, or?”

He wished he could say no.

“I... I do. I’ll... go get it...”

Lucky walked to his room in a stupor, still reeling from Violet’s knowledge pool about secrets he’d kept.

The tool belt was still sitting in his dresser drawer, next to the curled up red rope that had such an odd texture he didn’t want to touch it. Lucky grabbed the belt, and the few stray objects that he assumed belonged in its pouches. He stood there for a moment, unsure what to do with all of it.

But eventually, without even thinking about it, he strung the belt around his waist and quickly put the small tools in all the right places. It was as if his body moved on its own. It terrified him.

Still. Everything was in place, so, shaking slightly, Lucky shut the drawer and made his way back to the lobby.

Violet was there, but she looked completely different. Her hair was tied up looser, and she was wearing a loose fitting blue dress, boots, and fingerless gloves. All her makeup had been wiped off. She honestly looked... better. It seemed more natural for her, her posture was way more relaxed.

Lucky approached and she turned to look at him.

“Oh, good. You do have it. Gonna ditch the wig?”

Lucky brought a hand up to his Afro wig.

“N..no. I don’t think so.”

“Ok, suit yourself. And you’re...coming?” She gestured to OJ.

OJ’s flat expression didn’t change, except for the fact that he flicked his eyes away from the tools on Lucky’s belt.

“Yes.” He didn’t have to argue why. His tone of voice was saying that he wasn’t going to budge about it. 

Lucky felt... well... lucky to have him there.

“Alright, just be ready to stand your ground if we run into any Chimeras.”

That’s right... there were dangerous creatures out there. Lucky’s heart started to pound, but with Violet’s blasé attitude about it, he figured she knew how to fight them. Maybe she really could’ve ‘knocked some sense’ into him after all. The gloves she was wearing sure seemed like they were for combat.

The three of them stepped out of the Club, which they had closed for the day due to ‘maintenance’. The sun was blinding, and the view from up high was breathtaking as usual. Lucky didn’t have time to appreciate it, because his heart was in his throat and his mind was racing.

This was going to be his first and last adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve changed the rating and the reason should become clear next chapter. Thanks for reading...


	3. Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OJ, Violet, and Lucky set out to find that egg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the rating to teen, because this chapter contains Animal Death! That’s your CONTENT WARNING. This chapter was also a lot quicker to post because it was shorter and I’d already drawn the picture a few weeks back when I first thought of this story!
> 
> Enjoy it, though!

When the three of them came down the ropeway and reached a tall cliff, Lucky noticed something familiar.

Lining the cliff in a tall vertical line were solid metal objects, like rungs of a ladder. Obviously, they were going to climb up these. Lucky stopped and gazed at them, noticing how it made sense that they were placed where they were. The rock of the cliff face in that area wasn’t so soft that the rungs would cave under any weight, but not so hard that they would be impossible to stick into it. He brushed a hand absentmindedly over the similar metal objects on his belt.

Had he put these here?

Lucky vaguely remembered it... some of his aimless walking with the egg was sort of fuzzy to him. He must’ve put these in the wall on autopilot. The mere fact that he recognized that this was the correct place to put them seemed to prove it.

“Convenient.” OJ piped up, breaking Lucky’s focus. “The ladder here, I mean.”

“Those are wall staples.” Violet mused. “Lucky put them there.” Violet called him Lucky, despite what she had said before. Maybe she didn’t want to cause any more confusion? Still, she stepped on the bottom rung and started to climb up effortlessly. Lucky couldn’t help but notice some slightly crooked rungs as she stepped on them, and felt something like disappointment hang over him. Like he’d let someone down.

“He did?” OJ turned to Lucky, confused.

The bassist just shrugged and followed after Violet, not wanting to explain. It was too much for his brain to handle right now. Who the hell was he trying to impress with perfect ‘wall staples’? Was that what she called them?

When he reached the top, the pink haired waitress was crouching low to the ground. She shushed Lucky with a finger to her mouth, and pointed ahead of them.

Lucky followed her manicured finger, and saw immediately what she was indicating. Not so far away, about 50 or so feet from them, was what he assumed was a Chimera. It had the top half of a shark, and the bottom half of a kangaroo, even with a smaller baby shark sitting in its pouch. Lucky’s heart sank to his feet.

“What is THAT?” OJ hissed from behind. Lucky turned to him, noticing the horror in his eyes. He definitely felt like he must’ve looked the same.

“It’s a Chimera. If we’re careful, we can sneak past it, but nearly all of them are hostile. So, if it notices us, we’ll have to kill it.” Violet squinted at the last few words. “It’s not ideal but... we have to.” She didn’t sound too keen on the idea, and Lucky agreed with her.

He swallowed. The creature didn’t look violent, but he couldn’t even begin to imagine how it had been created. Maybe it had no idea what it was doing.

Violet started to creep forwards, keeping low to the ground. Lucky tailed her, his own footsteps completely silent. Somehow despite his limp, he managed. OJ wasn’t as stealthy, and something snapped under his foot. Lucky flinched—his eyes locked onto the Chimera who was now standing straighter, at high alert.

“Sorry,” OJ hissed. 

The three of them stayed still as they could, wondering what to do now. 

“There’s not much to do now but let it attack,” Violet whispered. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

She stood up, making herself obvious to the shark-kangaroo, and it let out a horrifying cry. Lucky stood up straight too, terrified. His heart pounded in his chest, watching the Chimera wind itself up to lunge.

And it did.

Straight at him.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Lucky’s eyes widened and Violet cried “Watch out!” 

_You know what to do,_ an unfamiliar voice in his head commanded. _ACT NOW! DON’T HESITATE!_

He shifted his weight backwards onto his good leg, and with one swift and decisive motion, firmly planted the toe of his left boot into the skull of the creature. It flung to the side and landed in the grass with a loud thump.

Lucky blinked. 

What just happened? 

When he placed his bad leg back down, pain flared up his thigh. Lucky shifted his weight back to the normal comfortable position, and gathered himself.

When he turned to either of his partners, their expressions were complete opposites.

Violet looked ecstatic. He fists were clenched up near her face, and she bounced on her heels.

OJ just looked confused. And horrified. And upset. His brows were furrowed.

“That was great! I didn’t think you remembered how to do that!”

Violet grabbed Lucky by the arm, shaking him a little bit.

“Are your memories coming back?”

Lucky looked down at her, his hands shaking with worry.

“How did I do that?” He asked, stunned. His voice was quiet.

Violet frowned. Her excitement faded.

“You just... know how to?” She didn’t sound sure about it herself. “Well, you’re a thief, y’know.”

“Lucky’s no criminal.” OJ retorted.

“Not a bad thief—listen, it doesn’t matter. He knows how to fight, ok? I’ve seen it before with my own two eyes. He kicked the shit out of some annoying critters.”

Lucky hung his head. A thief? A fighter? It couldn’t be right. He was just a bassist. A humble musician, nothing more. He didn’t know anything other than that. Yet, the pit in his stomach grew.

The three stood there in silence for a while, trying to ignore the motionless Chimera a short way away. Lucky couldn’t stand to look at what he’d done to it.

“Ok... where do we go next?” Violet asked slowly.

Lucky pulled himself out of his stupor best he could, and focused on where the egg was.

“This way.”

* * *

Most of the journey passed without incident until they ran into more Chimeras. Various tools on his belt came in handy, even though he had no idea how to use them until his body went into reflexive mode. One chimera managed to sneak up behind them, and Lucky felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up before he whipped around and grabbed the creature, spinning it around 180 degrees, disorienting it. Violet knocked it out with a couple good punches.

He felt lightheaded after that.

Then, the most unbelievable of it all happened.

A lion, with metal tentacles. Lucky was so struck with terror at it that even his strange reflexes seemed to freeze up. It looked as if it was about to lash out at him until Violet stepped in front of him.

“Get down!” She cried, and then it happened.

Light crackled out of her fingertips, sizzling and sparking. Then, with a boom of thunder, a flash of light... she brought her hands down sharply and electricity cracked down and hit the chimera. The electric current ran quickly through the metal parts of the creature- shocking it to death. It fell over in a smoldering heap.

Violet dusted her hands off as if it was nothing at all.

OJ and Lucky looked at each other, silently saying ‘did you just see that?!’

The sax player spoke up first.

“Violet, what the hell did you just DO?”

“Oh... I guess I forgot to mention. That was PK Thunder.”

“PK?” Lucky thought it sounded a little familiar...

“Psychokinesis. I’m psychic. I use PSI.” She said it all so matter of factly...

OJ refused to let it end there.

“Wait, wait. So... you can use magic? You can predict the future? Read minds?”

“Not... all of those things. I can use PSI, not magic.” She scoffed. “And yes, sometimes I can read minds. So don’t go thinking anything dirty about me.” She stuck her tongue out at OJ, and though she sounded like she was joking... Lucky wondered.

Had she read his mind at some point? Is that how she knew about the egg in the first place? He remembered how intense her stare had seemed, how it had felt like she was really looking into him...

Was he being fooled?

* * *

When they climbed out of the mole tunnels, he saw it. The big clump of dirt that he had left the egg in.

He remembered it perfectly clearly. He ignored everything else in the area, just quickly made sure that the egg was hidden completely. He was pretty sure it would still be there... and yet. He almost hoped it wasn’t, so he could leave this all behind. Why did he feel like finding this damn thing was just going to create more problems for him? It should be some closure to it all.

Find the egg, give it to Violet, go back to the DCMC.

The trio approached the mud figure, and Lucky bent down on one knee to inspect it.

“Yeah, this is it. I hid the egg inside here.”

He reached over to feel for it, and sure enough, the hard shape of the egg was still resting inside the mud.

“It’s still here.”

Lucky reached into the figure and tugged, and the egg popped out with relative ease. The mud had hardened enough that it just cracked off around it, leaving the egg relatively clean. He stood up and cupped it carefully in both hands.

“Here it is...”

Lucky turned around and showed the egg to his two companions. He felt a tingle go up his spine as he did.

“Yup, that’s it.” Violet was gazing at it with a mix of awe and relief on her face. “The egg that’s been giving me trouble these past 2 years.”

She sounded honest when she said it, but Lucky still wasn’t sure if she had figured everything out by reading his mind. He’d keep that close to his chest for now, though. His trust in her had nothing to do with keeping this egg safe, right now in the moment.

“It is real, huh.” OJ mused. “Does sorta look like a treasure you’d hear about in a fantasy story.”

Lucky turned back towards the mud figure, wondering if he should leave it with this gaping hole in the middle of it. He wanted to clean it up so it wasn’t suspicious, but his hands were so firmly latched onto the egg and refused to budge. It was the same as before, it just felt too important.

The egg warmed up, glowed with the same soft light as last time. Lucky looked down at it, wondering why. 

“Hey... what’s it doing?” Violet’s voice wandered into his ears. “It’s never done that...”

He barely heard her— there was another voice, one deep in Lucky’s mind, starting to faintly cry out. He couldn’t... quite understand what it was saying, but it was crawling it’s way closer... trying to come out. The egg gleamed brightly for a moment, and the bassist gasped as white filled his vision for a split second. Whether or not OJ and Violet experienced the same was a mystery to him, but he’d forgotten about them completely by now.

It all faded... the warmth went away, the light dimmed. Lucky felt a silent peace... for just a moment. The egg stopped calling out, stopped reaching in too deep.

Then in an instant- he remembered everything.

He collapsed to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That drawing spawned this whole fic, basically. I’ve been waiting to share it.


	4. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his memory back, Duster decides where he needs to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter so far... I’ve been working 5 days a week so there’s been a slow down on my progress but it’s not stopping!

He was sitting in the vibrant green grass outside of his house, the warm sun beating down on his face. Duster had come out initially just to give the Siren Beetle some time to be out of its container, but the nice weather was just too good to resist.

He was dozing a bit, the breeze soft and the smell of grass relaxing his senses for once. He managed to hear the joyful screams of several children running up and down the hill. He glanced up, awake again, and watched the young kids chasing each other. Duster knew who they were, he knew everyone in Tazmily, but he didn’t want to be a bother. They were playing their own little game, and he would just stay here.

However, he wasn’t out during the day very often and that must’ve been obvious to Claus, who approached Duster without any hesitation. Duster turned his head up to look at him standing there in front of him, eyes wide with curiosity.

The thief wasn’t sure what to say to the kid. He didn’t know how to talk to children at all. The red-headed boy couldn’t have been older than seven, and Duster at his prime age of twenty couldn’t remember at all what he was like when he was that age. It was all a blur of thief drills and injuries that he had to sleep off.

“Are you really a thief?”

The question caught him completely off guard. It was clear that Claus was genuinely asking, but Duster didn’t know what to say, really.

“Uh... yes?”

That seemed like a satisfactory answer for the boy, because he nodded and ran back to his twin and their friends. Duster let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, and tried to relax again. He knew people thought he was odd, but the judging eyes of a child were really something else.

Duster leaned his head back on the side of the house and closed his eyes, absentmindedly petting the Siren Beetle in his palm. He would continue to enjoy the momentary peace while he could.

Until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Duster snapped awake again, terrified by the fact that he didn’t sense someone sneaking up on him. He should’ve been good at this by now! Damnit!

The person behind him was crouched low, and clutched tightly to his shirt. Duster noticed then that it was Lucas, and he was using him as a hiding spot. Claus was running off after Fuel in the distance, and the latter boy was whooping with glee. Nichol and Richie were frozen in place, watching the two intently.

So they were playing tag, or something like it. And Lucas had an odd strategy in mind: hide behind the weird stranger.

Duster calmed his beating heart, and let him stay there. It didn’t matter much. He was just a kid. The thief felt this weird urge to keep him safe. Lucas sniffled, and then Duster heard something... quiet. A name being called.

The door to his house started to creep open. His heart-rate quickened again. He was going to be in big trouble for lazing around for so long. He braced for the worst. He felt Lucas’ grip tighten on his sleeve.

From the blackness in the doorway, the voice kept calling, slowly getting louder and clearer.

_Key... a key... Lucky?_

OJ appeared out of the darkness.

“Lucky! Wake up!”

* * *

Lucky’s eyes peeled open. What happened? Where was he? The light was so bright here. What time was it?

OJ was kneeling over him, his eyes wide.

“Man, are you ok? You collapsed. Like, your eyes went all glassy and everything.”

Lucky attempted to gather his thoughts best he could, but everything was so hazy, and the sun was so bright. It was hot on his face. Just like the weather in his dream. Which... that was hazy too. It had been vivid, why was it fading from his memory already? Did he really have memory loss THIS bad?

“What the hell was all that glowing about? The egg like... lit up like it was a holiday.”

The egg?

The egg...

The egg!

Duster shot up into a sitting position.

“The egg! Where did it go?” He asked in a panic. He had to keep it safe, but it was gone!

“Whoa, whoa. Relax. Violet has it.” OJ put a hand on Duster’s shoulder.

Duster craned his body around to see Violet standing behind him, egg sitting safely in her arms. She was looking at it carefully, cradling it like it was an infant.

Duster scrambled to his feet.

“Lucky, you’re not in any shape to stand— c’mon.” OJ’s protest was barely heard.

Duster limped—more than usual—over to the pink haired PSI user. She looked up at him as he approached, her expression steady.

“It’s totally ok. Don’t worry.” She said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “No one got their hands on it.” She trailed a finger over one of the wings.

“I’m sorry.” The thief said, hanging his head. “I shouldn’t have hidden it where the enemy could find it. You should... hold onto it. We can get it back to Tazmily, keep it somewhere safe...”

When he looked back to the princess, her eyes were wide and sparkling. Her mouth had dropped open a bit.

“Wh...what?” Why was she looking at him like that?

“Duster?”

“Yeah?”

“Huh?”

OJ had spoken up. Duster turned back around, looking at his band member in confusion.

“Lucky... what are you going on about, man?”

Duster blinked. He had been barely conscious of what had been going on, and he tried to think. The egg was safe, he could focus on something else. His dream... the tools on his belt... the journey here... holding the egg and remembering his past.

Remembering...

“You have your memories back?” Kumatora asked. Duster turned around, again.

“I... I think I do. It’s all really confusing right now.”

“You remember me?”

“Yeah, of course. You threatened to cut your foot off. That’s pretty memorable... I think.” He rubbed his neck, wondering if that was stupid to even say. But Kumatora laughed.

It hadn’t really set in just yet, everything was swirling in his mind, but he really did have his memories back, didn’t he? Wow...

“Lucky...”

Oh yeah.

OJ was touching his arm.

Duster looked into his band leader’s concerned eyes, wanting to tell him everything. Who he was, where he came from, all his hopes and fears. But he didn’t know how to even begin...

“You got your memories back?”

Duster nodded.

OJ clapped him on the back. Ouch.

“Congrats, man. I know it’s been eatin’ at ya. You can play even better now with that all off your shoulders.”

Duster’s heart sank. Playing with the band... would he be able to keep doing it? He did have a responsibility... to go back to Tazmily and... assure everyone there that he was ok and all. Not that Tazmily’s residents cared for him much...but... there was his father... and—

He didn’t really want to think about him right now.

“Duster, I’ll take the Hummingbird Egg back to Tazmily.” Kumatora spoke up again. “You can stay at Titiboo, like you said.” She looked at him questioningly. “Unless, you want to come with me. Up to you.”

Duster looked back and forth between the two people standing on either side of him, wondering. What to do? Choosing between his two identities... he had worried about this even when he didn’t have any memories.

“Wait, wait. I just got one question that’s botherin’ me.” OJ shook his head. “Did that egg give you your memories back? I mean, I swear your eyes were glowin’ or something. Thought I was seeing things.”

“I mean— it’s supposed to contain a bunch of secrets.” Kumatora held up the egg, and it glinted in the sunlight. “Who’s to say it can’t store memories? I always thought you could open it up or something... but... maybe not.” Her eyes squinted.

“Why would it take mine, though? I don’t know anything important.” Duster frowned.

“The pigmasks were looking for you... maybe if you didn’t know who you were you’d be less obvious.”

“The pigmasks? They’re all dopey and friendly, what do they have to do with it?” OJ was right about that, they didn’t seem harmful at all when they were excitedly watching the DCMC perform. In fact, most of them seemed below average intelligence.

“Yea, well. Looks can be deceiving. They’re following orders of a terrible person.” The princess placed the egg back under her arm and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s a lousy guy all around. Duster, I don’t think you’ve even met him at all. Anyway. Let’s head back to the club for now. I need to grab my stuff.”

* * *

The journey back was considerably easier, with Duster now fully aware of his tools, and consciously fighting property instead of just relying on wild instinct. Kumatora got some more PSI out, putting up a wall of fire, and OJ was just as incredulous about it as before.

Duster just focused on remembering his training. Specific memories were returning to him. Kick. Throw. Dodge. Be on guard. Don’t make a sound. The scars across his hands had stories now, and the lessons learned from them were well engrained.

After hucking a few wall staples at a Chimera, he went to retrieve them. Slinging them back on his belt, he noticed OJ staring.

“Where did you learn all this stuff, anyway?”

Duster shrugged.

“I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”

“Fighting?”

“No... thief arts.”

“So Violet was tellin’ the truth.”

“About all of it. Yeah.”

“Geez.”

OJ ran a hand through his hair as they approached the ropeway.

“I can’t imagine you as a kid, honestly.” He laughed to himself.

Kumatora snorted. “What’s that mean?”

“I mean—y’know, Lucky didn’t remember anything, so it’s like he was born right when he met us. Wait wait! How old are you?!” OJ leaned towards Duster, and the thief felt his face heat up withsuch a personal question. “Now that you remember!”

“I’m— uh...” How long had it been? “Twenty-six. I think.” Duster climbed into the rope-car, and the other two followed.

“Whoa, really?” Kumatora sounded genuinely surprised. She sat down, crossing her legs, and looked at Duster with wide eyes.

“Yes... why is that surprising?”

“Your Dad’s so ancient, I thought you’d be older. That’s all.” She shrugged.

“No... he just acts like he is.” He wasn’t sure what else to say.

Duster turned his gaze towards the window, out at the Club growing closer. Time had passed, he had aged without even knowing it. Somehow, though they were returning to the place they had only left a few hours ago, it felt completely different.

Still...

* * *

He was greeted warmly by the rest of the band when they stepped inside Titiboo.

“Lucky! Tonda Gossa!” Magic was first to speak, of course. “Any luck? Haha...luck. You find that egg?”

“Right here.” Kumatora held it up.

The DCMC were mesmerized by it for a moment.

“Alright, I’m gonna go get my things. Takin’ this egg somewhere safe. Consider this my resignation!” The princess started to walk off, towards the rooms.

“Kumatora, wait.” Duster spoke up.

She turned, raising a brow.

“What? Damn, no one’s called me that in forever.”

“Where are you... going to keep it?”

“I figured we’d put it in your house somewhere. Or back in Osohe.”

With that, she walked off before Duster could even reply. She was really eager to get out of here, it seemed.

“It really was an egg, huh.” Magic spoke again. “Wild, man.”

“Not just that...” OJ said slowly. “Lucky’s got his memories back.”

Duster looked at his feet for a moment. He knew he did have them back but... it hadn’t settled in much. He really _was_ Duster, that he knew for sure. But not being Lucky? That was too weird. He was both! Trying to remember everything made his head hurt, but maybe it was just happening gradually.

“Perhaps it really _was_ destiny then,” Shimmy mused, rubbing his chin. “I’m interested to know more about you, Lucky.”

“Yeah- I...”

“If Lucky’s even your name, right?” Magic piped up.

“Well, it’s... I... I think I need some time to remember it all.” He just wanted to gather his thoughts. “I promise I’ll tell you guys everything.”

“Makes sense. Take your time.” Baccio spoke up. He was the type to think carefully before he spoke, so his understanding tone made sense. Duster turned to him with a grateful look.

“Lucky... I just wanted to ask.” OJ said evenly. “You mentioned living in Tazmily. I know a lot of our fans are from there, y’know? They come from workin’ at the factory and all. You sure you’re gonna go back there? They might see you completely differently now.”

Duster paused. He... hadn’t thought about that.

“I never said I wanted to go back... I want to stay here. And... keep playing with the band.”

He watched the other four DCMC members’ faces light up with relief. He hadn’t even realized they were worried he was going to leave! Why would he?

“Like I said. Destiny will guide you. If it’s here you’re meant to be, then that’s how it’s gonna be.” Shimmy gave Duster a warm smile.

The thief smiled back, and felt at ease.

Bidding them goodnight, he went back to his room.

* * *

When he opened his drawer, he felt a pang of guilt.

“Uh... hey.”

Rope snake peeked his head up.

“Duster! You remember?”

“Oh. Uh... yeah. Sorry. Have you just been sitting in here this whole time?”

“Well, I usually sneak out while you’re gone to find food in the attic.”

He didn’t want to really ask what sort of food he even found up there. Was he eating the mice?

“I didn’t want to freak you out, y’know. When I realized you didn’t remember a thing, I thought adding a snake onto it all might be very confusing.” Rope Snake slid over Duster’s shoulders, and sighed. “It’s been a little cramped, but I’ve been keeping my jaw fit. So if you need me again, we can go. I’d hope to be useful to you again.”

“Well, I think I’m going to stay...”

The red snake blinked.

“Alright. I’ll go back in my drawer.” He sounded disappointed. The snake slithered back down Duster’s arm and into his small space, and curled back up. “I don’t want to sound like a downer, but it’s awfully boring. Wake me up when we’re going somewhere.”

Duster figured that was the end of that.

He laid down on his bed, and wondered. Now that it was quiet, he could think, he could remember.

That dream he had when he was passed out, before OJ woke him up... it wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. He knew that now. Although, the end had been slightly altered by his waking up. In reality, his father had opened the door and saw Lucas, and gathering the situation, had allowed Duster to sit outside for a little longer.

All Duster could remember beyond that was Lucas sitting with him for a while, watching the beetle quietly. When Hinawa called his name, the blond boy stood up and blinked.

“Thanks Duster.” Was all he said, and it was very quiet. How Lucas knew the thief’s name was a mystery. Then he ran off, his tiny legs carrying him down the hill. Duster had gone back into his house after that. The memory trailed off there.

Duster wondered, vainly... why that particular memory had come back to him so vividly. It was hard to know, but it was certainly a rare moment of peace in his turbulent life, so maybe that’s why it stood out. Still, something about it felt important.

He tried to put it out of his mind the best he could, and started to drift. Soon, his eyes were fluttering shut... and he was asleep.


	5. Hopes and Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No art for this one because it’s decently short. Still, enjoy...

Duster was awoken by a knock at his door.

How long had he been asleep...?

He stumbled up out of bed, rubbing his eyes. He felt heavy from being woken so suddenly... really, how long had it been?

Duster opened his door, blinking slowly. It was Shimmy. He was still dressed in his suit, so it couldn’t be ... bedtime yet, right? Duster had no idea.

“Violet’s asking for you. She’s about to leave.”

“She’s... leaving. Right, right. Ok. How long has it been-”

“Just an hour or so.”

Duster smoothed his hair back, then realizing that his wig had fallen off in his sleep. Oh... whatever. He stepped out of the room and down the hallway, and Shimmy gave a small wave.

Kumatora was waiting in the lobby again. When Duster approached, she was busy adjusting the strap on her bag. She ran a hand through her freshly cut hair. It stuck out at odd angles and it was not evenly cut in the slightest, it looked as if she’d chopped it off without any attention to detail.

She looked just like how he remembered. It felt uncanny to see, almost.

When she looked up and saw him, her brows went up and she smiled. It was ... almost a smirk, but it looked mostly sincere. Maybe.

“Hey, we both have fresh hair styles.” Her eyes sparkled at the joke.

“Ah, yeah.” He tried his best not to seem nervous. Was she taking the egg back to...?

“Well, I’m headed back. I have some stuff I wanna check out first, like Osohe, but I probably won’t bother putting the egg back in its room... all those damn traps are still there.”

Duster swallowed. He knew what she was leading up to.

“So, I’m gonna have to go to your old man eventually. Ask him to hide it again. I mean, he knows better how to do that than anyone else.”

“Yeah.” It was almost a whisper.

“Still. I don’t wanna deal with the geezer, y’know? So I’ll probably put it off.” She crossed her arms. “Hey... should I... not mention you?Just tell ‘im I found the egg without you. So he won’t come marching up here.”

Duster imagined it, for a moment. If Kumatora couldn’t find him after so long, his father might give up hope... he might assume that Duster was...

“No.”

“No...?”

“Just... be honest.”

“You sure? He might come here and-“

“I don’t think so. He’ll...” Duster closed his fists tightly. “Probably ask you to come get me.”

“Really? You’re not giving the old man enough credit. You’ve been missing, what... two years? Why would he just sit there instead of getting off his ass and looking for you? His own _son_? C’mon.” She waved her hand around as if it was obvious.

“Has... has he been doing that?” If Duster was wrong, he would love to know. He would love to be wrong. He fiddled with his hands nervously.

When Kumatora looked down at her feet, he didn’t need to hear her answer.

“Well... I haven’t seen him in a while, but... no. He wasn’t. As far as I knew.”

Of course not.

Heavy silence fell between them for a moment.

Kumatora cleared her throat.

“Anyway... I’ll. Be going, then.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’ll see you, Duster.” The princess held out her hand. Duster took it, and she gave him a firm shake. “Soon! Promise.”

The thief nodded slowly. She turned on her heel, hands laced behind her head, and strolled out the front doors. He only wished he could feel as carefree as that.

He needed some more sleep.

* * *

The next morning, everything was normal. The band didn’t press him to talk about his past just yet, and they played a good show. It was odd, playing again now that he knew who he was. The bass still came so naturally to him, but now he knew he wasn’t so much a musician... more a guy who happened to have fingers so calloused that playing came easily.

He played fine, but went through the songs in a haze.

It wasn’t until after the show that they really had a moment to talk. The band gathered in Duster’s room this time.

He explained, simply... that even though he felt he had all his memories back, it was hard to recall them out loud. He said what he could, though. He was from Tazmily, he was a thief, his name was Duster. That much was all true. He was positive.

“It’s enough for me.” Magic said simply. “As long as you’re still the same ol’ Lucky, I don’t have a problem.”

The other members nodded.

“I didn’t think you’d be too different. Even without memories, the heart never changes.” OJ smiled sincerely. “It sounds cheesy, but I believe it.”

“So... Tazmily isn’t even that far.” Shimmy added. “Many of the people who come to watch us are from there, aren’t they? Why not visit?”

Duster looked at his feet for a moment.

“I guess I could but... I’d probably be convinced to stay there. And... I want to stay here.”

“The music sucked you in!” Magic pumped his fists. “Once you get a taste of DCMC’s groove, you can’t stop!”

Duster laughed a little.

“Well, yeah, that... but... I think I’d even stay without it. I just wanna... stick with you guys.” He smiled, feeling his face flush. “I don’t want to leave... you’re all my closest friends. That’s all.”

When he turned back to Magic, the guitarist’s eyes were wide as dinner plates. Tears were brimming in them, too.

“Aw, Lucky, you sap!”

“I’m touched,” Shimmy added.

Baccio wiped an eye from behind his shades.

“No matter what crazy stuff happens from this point on...” OJ placed a hand on Duster’s shoulder. “We’re sticking together! Even if... it’s just in spirit. We’ll be rooting each other on!”

The band piled together in a group huddle, cheering and laughing, their spirits high. It was a relief for all of them, to put behind the weirdness of the past few days, the tension... the fact that Duster had decided to stay had soothed the whole band’s worries.

When the others left, OJ lingered for a moment.

“Can I... just say. I really am happy you’re going to stay, Lucky. Or... Duster, right? Can I?” OJ scratched at his head.

Duster’s heart skipped a beat when his name left OJ’s lips. 

“C-call me that? Yeah, I... don’t have a problem with it...”

“Duster, huh...” OJ chuckled. “Sure. If it’s _your_ name, it’s good with me.” He smiled that lovely OJ smile. Duster felt his face heat up all over again.

The band leader headed to the doorway.

“Goodnight, Duster. Tomorrow we rock again.”

When he shut the door softly, Duster wanted to ask him to stay. 

* * *

The next night, they played better than ever. Duster found his head bobbing more than usual. He usually had a focused face, keeping time with his good foot, but tonight... he smiled. He bopped up and down. The music was addicting, like Magic always said. He felt that now. He let loose completely and just enjoyed it.

OJ’s sax solo was so passionate, he was completely red by the end of it. Duster watched him in awe. It was mesmerizing.

He was the happiest he’d been, probably ever. It was so relieving. He felt carefree, just like he wanted.

There was the off chance it could all change, but he didn’t think about that very much.

He did continue to have dreams that were really memories. Some were mundane enough, like his father holding a struggling toddler aged Kumatora, or Tessie tending to one of his many cuts. So many were training dreams. Climbing staples, sitting on top of tall cliffs. Throwing things.

Some... were more intense and emotional, like his father hollering down the stairs into the basement as Duster scrambled to get his things in a panic... what happened to his leg. How long he sat in bed, hoping the injury wasn’t permanent. Flint, a person he held high respect for, swinging a piece of lumber around violently. Duster woke up in a cold sweat just as the older man was cracked in the head. His heart pounded, remembering that night.

Despite the dreams, that feeling he had every time they played shows and laughed together, sipping soda and telling jokes, overwrote it all. He pretty much was able to push them out of his mind. Duster really knew that it was all in the past now. He could move on from it easily.

That wonderful feeling lasted for two glorious weeks. He wished it could’ve been longer, but all good things must come to an end.

Greeting fans after shows always made him nervous, but Duster wasn’t prepared to be approached so suddenly that one night.

It was three people. One looking at him with curious eyes, one looking incredibly apologetic, and the last one... the familiar disappointment, disapproval... it strummed up so many memories.

“Duster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is most likely a POV switch. Thanks for reading :)


	6. Kumatora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a little important tangent... this chapter is also brief.

After saying goodbye to Duster, Kumatora stepped into the cool night air. It felt way better than the beating hot sun from earlier that day, and she was in high spirits. Still, there was the issue of no trains at this hour, so she’d have to walk. Oh well.

The princess walked quietly and determinedly through the train tunnels, blasting aside stray chimeras with her fire. Her thoughts were set on a few things. Check Osohe, see her mom, talk to the old geezer.

It would probably take a little while. A day or two, maybe.

When she stepped out of the tunnel, she was tired. It really had been a long day. A lot of walking, and her PSI energy was drained up. Still, she made the walk through the graveyard and into the desolate old castle. There was no trace of Pigmasks, and stray ghosts were still floating about. A few recognized her, asked where she’d been.

“Long story,” Was all she said. They seemed to understand.

She collapsed onto one of the old couches after a soak in the spring in the basement. That felt way better. Her energy started to return, and she wondered when her next fever would be. It was a mystery... but all that walking and fighting today might’ve sped things along a bit. She’d had so little chances to let loose while working at the club.

She turned over on the couch. The springs creaked. Ugh! That place was a nightmare. The giggling, the frilly scratchy uniforms, the hairstyle she had to keep. The cakey, ugly makeup. It was torturous, but she did it for the egg. And to keep an eye on Duster, she supposed.

When the princess had arrived at Titiboo, she had been surprised that they even offered her the position at all. Maybe the other waitresses were taking “pity” on her. Like hell she needed any of that...

Growing her hair out and tying it up, learning how to contour and apply lipstick, cleaning tables, fake smiling all the time... it was over. She was so glad.

She had really gotten fed up with Duster not being able to recall anything, so she’d pushed. It was lucky enough to work. All that talk and rumors people had about DCMC having memory loss could stop now.

The thoughts were swirling in her head, preventing sleep. She was so tired... she’d talk about it all tomorrow. For now... clearing her mind and getting rest were top priority.

Soon enough, she was snoring.

* * *

The next morning she set out immediately. Osohe’s usual decrepit nature was already depressing her. Through the Sunshine forest, past the few chimeras lurking around, up a cliffside, through a cavern... to the shell shaped house.

Kumatora took a deep breath. She was ready for all the questions. They did come all at once.

“Kumatora!” When Ionia opened the door, she immediately went to checking the princess from head to toe. “Where were you? Are you alright, dear?”

“I’m ok, Ionia. I was just out looking for something, that’s all.”

“Oh?”

“Long story.”

“Why don’t you tell it over some tea, then.”

Kumatora gladly went inside. Ionia’s house was always homey. All of the shell shaped houses felt that way... at least to her.

“I was trying to find this.” She pulled the egg out of her satchel.

“The Hummingbird Egg, hm.” Ionia looked only mildly interested. “It got lost then?”

“Yea, we were trying to keep it away from some bad guys.”

“Well, yes. It contains some sensitive information. It’s best it not fall into the wrong hands. There’s no telling what some of the humans would do if they used it the incorrect way.”

Kumatora nodded slowly... Ionia clearly knew more about it than she did herself.

“It’s funny... it stole my friend’s memories for a little while.”

“Oh? It probably had a reason for doing so. That’s what it’s meant to do: keep memories locked up.”

Ionia sipped her tea.   
  
  


“But really, dear. How have you been... what have you been doing? Your skin is glowing!”

“Oh... I may have learned some... techniques from coworkers.” Kumatora slumped.

She explained how she worked at Titiboo, what she had to wear and do... Ionia’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh, I wish I could’ve seen you all dolled up. Now your hair is a mess. Can I at least clean up those layers for you?”

The princess sighed.

“Okay, fine.”

It was soothing, sitting there, still as she could. Ionia snipped away until the layers of hair were more shapely and even. It was still a classic short Kumatora style, but it was ... less chaotic.

“There, presentable now.”

“Who am I presenting to?”

“Oh, shush.”

Kumatora chuckled.

“Thanks.”

They continued to catch up, and though Ionia was as doting as ever, and Kumatora insisted she didn’t need a manicure, she smiled all the same.

“How is your PSI, my dear?”

Kumatora sighed.

“I’m out of practice. But I got to use a little recently. I’m really trying to learn some new or stronger techniques.”

“Hm...” Ionia tapped her chin, stroking her stubble.

“Well, I could try to bring about a fever for you if you’d like. Who knows what we’ll get.”

The princess cringed. “No... I’m good. I’ll wait.” She didn’t really feel like having her head shoved under water.

“Well, spend the night at least. Rest your head on my lovely bed. I just changed the sheets!” Ionia giggled like a schoolgirl. Kumatora rolled her eyes.

“Okay, fine.”

She was secretly grateful. She ended up staying for the next two days, practicing some PSI techniques under Ionia’s careful watch. At the end of the second day, she started to shiver and blush. A familiar sluggish feeling. Finally.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt the new ability. Hypnosis. Good to know. She was hoping for a stronger fire attack, but maybe it would come in handy somehow.

That afternoon, she packed up her satchel and waved goodbye to her mother. It was good to be cared for again, if just a little while.

Now for her last chore.

* * *

Tazmily looked different. She’d been gone for about 8 months, and it had already been starting to change when she left. Now even more roads were paved, more buildings redone, and the slimy Fassad was standing there in the center of town. When she got closer, he turned towards her, as if sensing her. He squinted, looking suspicious. She returned the glare. He had such an awful aura. It made her sick.

She pointedly walked past him and headed east of town. The road ended, a new bridge was laid out over the river she herself had been swept up by years earlier. The grass came back. This half of Tazmily seemed untouched, as of now. Though, she could see a group of pigmasks marching in step off to the south. Yuck.

Trudging up the hill, she came upon the thief household. A chunk of its roof was missing from a lightning strike. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment... it was lucky that the whole house wasn’t destroyed. Although, with how things were, it was probably a matter of time.

She knocked firmly on the front door.

There was a muffled gruff voice from inside, and then soft footsteps.

The door slowly creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a young boy, big eyed and blond haired. Oh, she remembered him. He saved her life, once.

“Lucas?”

“Oh, um...”

“Princess, is that you?” A voice echoed from deeper inside. Lucas turned his head towards the sound. Kumatora strained her neck to see.

“Come in.” The boy muttered softly. He moved aside.

She braced for quite an interesting conversation as she stepped through the threshold.


	7. Wess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumatora tells Wess what she knows, though she may not want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> General warning from here on out: I will not go into specifics of Wess' abuse and general dickish personality, but it can be felt with characters reactions to him and such. Keep that in mind and tap out if you're sensitive to that sort of thing. Thank you!

When Kumatora stepped inside the thief’s abode, she first noticed how warm it was. A fire was crackling in the fireplace directly in front of her. Why, when it was warm outside? It seemed odd... well. She shrugged it off.

Lucas went to sit a few feet from the fire, folding his legs criss cross on the wooden floor. He looked at Kumatora for a moment, then turned to the man in the rocking chair right by the flames.

Wess had his hands folded under his chin. His posture seemed serious, but there was a glimmer in his eye when he looked at the princess.

“Where have you been, Princess?” He questioned, simply.

Kumatora gave him a long look. Hair as wispy and white as ever, it seemed. The wrinkles on his forehead creased as he raised his bushy brows at her.

She took a breath.

“Looking. I found what I was searching for, though. I got held up... sorry for disappearing.”

“Hm. Yes, apology accepted. We’ve had enough people up and vanish, right my boy?” Wess glanced at the young blond in the room for a moment.

Lucas looked at the floor.

Kumatora cleared her throat.

“What happened to your roof?”

“Oh, the lightning strikes. Yes, that damage is left from what Lighter didn’t have time to fix. The whole wall came down.” Wess squinted. “It’s targeted, that lightning. I wouldn’t be surprised if this house ends up in pieces soon enough. Fassad and his cronies are eyeing this property.”

“They wanna replace your house? With what?”

“Seems so. And, frankly... no idea.”

Kumatora groaned. Fassad... that jerk! She tried to put it out of her mind.

“Anyway here, let me show you what I found.”

Wess sat up, his attention shifting completely to the PSI user. His hands clenched at the armrests of the chair. Kumatora knew the egg was important... but... he did seem excited, didn’t he? For his standards, anyway.

Kumatora pulled the egg from her bag and she swore she saw Wess deflate.

“It’s safe. We don’t have to worry anymore.”

“Yes... hmm...”

Wess stood up slowly and came over to inspect the egg. He ran a wrinkled hand over the top of it.

“Yes, it’s completely unharmed. How odd.”

“Well, it was well hidden. No one touched it.”

“Then how did you find it, princess? And who hid it?”

He was raising a curious brow at her. Staring right into her. Kumatora swallowed. She was a bit cornered here.

“Oh... y’know... it just... ended up like that?”

“It winded up well hidden?”

“...Yes?”

Wess sat slowly back in his chair. He laced his fingers together. “With all due respect, Princess. I doubt that. The egg was carried by the current of the river, we both know that.”

She sighed. He wasn’t so dumb that he would fall for something so unbelievable. Of course.

“Ok... yeah. It was... someone hid it.”

“Someone?”

“Duster.”

Wess’ brows perked up again.

“Let me explain. It’s kind of a long story?”

* * *

Kumatora recounted coming to Club Titiboo. She had intended on asking to stay one night, and be gone again at dawn to look for the egg. They had offered her a more permanent residence where she could stay. If she worked as a waitress. Kumatora had given into the offer, because having a consistent home base to return to after long days of searching sounded good to her.

She underestimated how much she would be waiting tables and how little time she would have to go out and look. The first few days she managed, because it was just a few hours of training her how to carry drinks and put on her makeup properly. She was pretty sure the other waitresses wanted to “fix” her, and that’s why they were so eager for her to be one of them. Ugh.

Her first full night of working, she could barely focus. So much went on, lots of guests, lots of demands, so many forced laughs escaping her mouth. She ditched the dining hall right before the band played because she was so fed up.

The second night was the same. She considered quitting.

The third night, a waitress, her name was Trina or something like that... grabbed her and said she should stay for the show this time. She might enjoy it. Kumatora relented, leaning against a wall at the back of the room. She could always leave. Whatever. Maybe the music was good.

When the band came on stage at first, the lights only illuminated OJ, who did his opening spiel. Kumatora just wasn’t interested... then they all started to play, and the spotlights all blared to life. She squinted at the brightness...

When she noticed a familiar face.

It was Duster, nodding his head to the beat and looking quite focused on his instrument. She was bewildered. What was he DOING here?

Trina noticed her staring.

“The bassist, hm? That’s Lucky.” Kumatora vaguely heard her say. “There’s lots of funny rumors about him... but I’ve overheard that he’s got memory loss.” The PSI user turned to see her fellow waitress looking sympathetic. “Poor guy. He’s a great bass player, though.”

That was when she decided to stay. If she could get Duster’s memory back, she could find the egg even easier than searching for it on her own.

She stared at him maybe a little too much, but it was clear he didn’t remember her. Kumatora didn’t confront him about it... just waited. Her patience didn’t last forever, of course. Eventually she hounded him. It had been successful, obviously. She wished she had done it weeks ago.

* * *

“Basically... I was keeping an eye on him. But he knew where the egg was.”

“And his memory?” Wess spoke up. He had been quiet for the rest of the story.

“It’s...” she paused. Duster had said it was ok to be honest about it all... “I think he remembers most of it, now. Maybe not everything...”

“Hm.” Wess stood again. “Well then.” He started for the stairway to his basement.

“Wait— you don’t have to go get him, he’s fine, I promise!” Kumatora felt a pang of guilt. Geez, she practically was sicking the old man on the poor guy. “He’s got a responsibility to play with the band, anyway. That’s why he stayed behind.”

Well, that was technically true, but he had probably stayed for more personal reasons, too.

Wess paused with his hand on the railing. He looked thoughtful.

“Hmph. I suppose you have a point. Alright, alright. I’ll leave it.”

Kumatora sighed in relief.

“He’ll have to leave there eventually, though. I’m sure of it.”

“Why?”

Wess turned his gaze to Lucas still sitting quietly on the floor.

“There’s definitely still some other things we need him to do. You too, Princess.”

What did _that_ mean?

“Well, you can stay here if you like.” Wess gestured to the bed in the corner of the room. “Hopefully we’re not struck by any more lightning, eh?” His tone was light, but his face was serious.

“I hope not...” Lucas said quietly. “Our sheep pen is already destroyed.”

“Mmhmm. Unfortunate.”

Kumatora frowned.

“Well... sure. I can stay here a few nights. Thanks.”

* * *

She settled into Wess’ bed pretty easily. The old man slept downstairs where Duster usually did, and for three nights it was quiet and Kumatora slept soundly.

On the fourth night, something didn’t feel right. She lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling. Was her PSI sensing something bad about to happen? Like a lightning strike? She felt antsy... like something big was about to begin.

It was because she was awake that she heard the front door quietly close. Wess had left. Wait. He had climbed the stairs and walked across the room without making a single noise? And she thought Duster was quiet. He was nothing compared to the master thief.

She sat up, and slid out of bed. Opening the front door, she caught a glimpse of Wess making his way into town. He wasn’t... was he? He was.

She groaned. Grabbed her bag. Okay, time to go after the geezer.

When she stepped out, she immediately ran into Lucas.

“Wh- oh. Lucas...”

“Sorry.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know... I couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh... me neither!”

“A bad feeling kept me up... where’s Mr. Wess?”

“I think he’s going to the Club. I’m going after him. You coming along?”

Lucas nodded.

It was then Kumatora heard a bark.

“Woof!” _I can come too?_

Lucas’ little brown dog. She couldn’t remember its name.

She was about to translate to Lucas, but the boy just nodded at the dog. He could understand? Weird.

“Well... sure. Let’s all go.”

Lucas led the way, with Kumatora and the dog trailing right behind. They ran as much as they could to catch up with Wess, and when they did, he was surprised to see them.

“We need that moron. Things are going to start getting worse.”

He had a bad feeling too, maybe?

Kumatora didn’t know what Wess knew, but he seemed very sure that Duster was important enough that they needed him back. She hoped that was enough to convince him that she had tried... tried to prevent this.

They rode up the ropeway in silence. The guard knew it was her.

She was back here already... it had only been two weeks.

She smiled sickly sweet and convinced the guards to at least let Lucas in. His dog would have to wait, but he didn’t seem to mind. He just barked and said he would try his best to be patient.

Lucas patted his head as a quick goodbye.

Kumatora took a breath and pushed the doors open.


End file.
